


Aerodynamics

by YsaX64



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Books, F/M, Fear of Flying, I'm Bad At Tagging, Nerdiness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-17
Updated: 2019-09-17
Packaged: 2020-10-20 15:21:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,860
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20677568
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YsaX64/pseuds/YsaX64
Summary: Edelgard gets her hands on a "relic" of a time long past.





	Aerodynamics

**Author's Note:**

> look. This is self-indugent. I know. Also spoilers in general btw be careful.

The downpour outside kept knocking at her window. The sound was normally a welcome addition to the afternoon, as rain was rare in Garreg Mach. Most days were filled with warm sunshine and cloudless skies, perhaps fitting with the idyllic central location. 

Well, if nothing else, whenever it rained, classes and other events were canceled, so she could stay in her room and take care of her own problems. Which was a plus, at least for Edelgard. Particularly so when she had good company.

_ Knock, knock. _

The taps on her door were quick and polite, characteristically to the point that it wasn't even worthy of a second glance.

"It is open, Hubert," Edelgard mumbled, her back turned to the door as she observed the rain outside. 

His steps were light as a feather, if he were attempting to sneak on her, Hubert probably would be one of the few skilled enough for the task. Still, he quickly made his presence known, closing the door behind him and placing two mugs on the table with a dull sound.

"Lady Edelgard." 

She could almost see him bowing, even with her eyes focused on a tree in the distance, enduring the raging storm outside. 

"You asked for my presence?"

It was less of a question and more of a statement, but it still lingering with the underlying _ why _ teetering on his tongue. The slight raise of pitch in his tone belied his doubt, alongside the oddly even tone his voice always took when he was curious.

"Can I not ask for the presence of a friend?" she teased, a suspicion arising in her mind, but one that she could only confirm with his help. Edelgard didn't quite know why that was the first thing to come out of her mouth but didn't quite regret it either once she turned on her heels.

Hubert had an eyebrow raised, bearing his signature flat stare that would otherwise be a red flag signaling someone's impending doom. Or, at least, a clear demonstration of his utter lack of faith in her words.

But Edelgard had never been the kind to back off. Her lips curled up as if to say _ dare to deny me. _For she knew he wouldn't. In response, he cracked a smirk, the dark bangs over his eyes giving him the look of a mischievous imp rather than the devilish creature most made him out to be. 

Sadly, that was as much as Edelgard got out of her sinister servant, as he bowed down once more, back stiff as he said nothing more. _ Awaiting orders_, she remarked to herself, with a hint of disappointment blooming in the pit of her stomach.

Well. Not much to be done about it. Hubert stayed still, almost in defiance over an unexisting order. She clicked her tongue, as she relented in an unexpected turn of events. It was not like she could stubborn her way through Hubert's patience. The unstoppable force meeting its fated immovable object.

"Since our last trip to Enbarr, I've brought a few _ gifts _ from my dear uncle."

For a moment, the only sound in the room was the patter of the rain outside, as Hubert stared back at her. Was he evaluating the situation? It made sense, considering that they were dancing in thin ice when it came to Lord Arundel. 

"Quite the _ exotic _items, I assure you," she completed, gesturing for him to follow her.

Obedient -- not too far of a lapdog, like Claude had once remarked when he thought there was no one around -- Hubert followed along, as she kneeled beside her bed and pulled a box made out of metal. It glistened in the light, plain steel with its lock ripped open brutally. She had no key for the box, so her ax had to serve.

Hubert, perhaps out of politeness, asked nothing about it, gesturing for her to open. Needing no more incentive, Edelgard opened the box, showing its contents.

At first glance, it was less than extraordinary. But it didn't take long to notice all sorts of odd things. There was a set of five books, all with detailed covers and two of them written in symbols that might have constituted a language, but nothing that Edelgard could recognize.

He picked up the book in his arms, setting them aside in the table, just beside the pair of mugs he had brought for the pair. A glance was enough for a spark of delight to flare in her heart. Bergamot, just beside the pool of void Hubert defined as coffee. She sat down, fingers curling around the still warm mug.

"I assume you are still trying to decipher it?"

Her lips curled up in a slight smile as her loyal servant pulled a chair for himself. She sipped her tea and her smile grew larger. Impeccable as ever.

"Yes, I am still trying to make some use out of those books," she sighed, as Hubert quietly sipped his own coffee. "To be honest, I don't think I'm making any progress at all."

She tapped a small pile of books, her fingers lingering in the foreign material. Well, not like she had any way of knowing what that material was about. 

The thought brought a mischievous smirk to her lips, not like she had any regrets. It was her uncle's misstep. She just happened to be in the right place at the right time.

Edelgard swiped this handful of books while he was distracted and took them with her to Garreg Mach. If he ever noticed, her uncle never associated her with this little crime.

She tapped her fingers once more across the cover of the top book. The cover itself eerie, bearing an uncanny similarity with reality while still surreal enough so she couldn't give a proper name to what she was seeing.

"It's not a foreign language, at least not all of them," she muttered, her eyes snapping back to Hubert, who still sipped the pool of void he considered coffee. His eyes, light green and sharp as a dagger, were attentive to her every move.

"But it might as well be," Edelgard concluded, opening one of the books. Hubert scooted closer, his dark bangs pushed aside for a better view. The book showed multiple ultra-realistic paintings of things that couldn't possibly exist. That much was enough to demonstrate its surrealism.

Most of them depicted what seemed to be birds made out of metal, that come in different shapes and sizes, varying from surreal to unbelievable. Hubert tilted his head to the side, his eyes widened in a rare -- but endearing, she couldn't help but notice -- expression of shock. 

"Caught off guard?" She teased, raising an eyebrow as he straightened his back and cleared his throat.

"It is rather a rather uncanny picture, I will not lie."

She nodded in response, her eyes drifting back to the pages. Uncanny was a mild way of putting it. It was if someone had ripped the fabric of reality and flattened it on a sheet of paper. The paper might have been yellow colored and smelling like allergies, but it was impressive nevertheless.

Edelgard squinted her eyes, trying to make sense of something that seemed to not belong in this world. It was not like a bird, for there was no singular moment when it flapped its wings. But if it wasn't, how could it fly then? 

"Does the text gives us any hints?" Hubert muttered, just as baffled as she was. "You said not all of it was in a foreign language."

"And I stand by my words," her fingers wandered across the letters, "Unfortunately, I also said that it might as well not be in our language."

In a single gesture, she turned the book cover towards him, giving Hubert a better look at the words. 

"Concise Aerodynamics of Flight?" 

Even the very words sounded baffling. Sure, "flight" and "concise" were easy enough, but whatever "aerodynamics" meant tossed everything into disarray. Edelgard presumed it was some sort of old tongue, but if it was, then she should have been able to trace back its origins and meaning if she looked into modern words.

But the "dynamic of air" made no sense still.

Hubert seemed equally puzzled, but she saw a rare glint of curiosity sparkling behind his yellow eyes. _ A challenge _, her mind concluded, her lips curling in a smile. He set aside the dark bangs, gently taking the book from her hands.

"Flight," he mused to himself, "How interesting. If I am to guess, this book is about something currently impossible. Flight. Not by the feathered trot of pegasi, nor the scaly flap of wyverns, but by the metal forged by human hands."

She nodded, having reached the same conclusion before. Edelgard didn't have the opportunity of giving it a proper look -- a box full of such prohibited contents was promising, but also an accusation of her otherwise less-than-acceptable actions. Carefulness was required, no, demanded in such circumstances. 

Hence the need for a rainy, thunderous moment such as that day in order to let them alone for long enough to crack the code.

"How curious," Hubert mumbled, a coffee mug halfway to his lips. Her eyes snapped back to him, as a thunder fittingly roared in the background.

"Any discoveries?"

"There is a nomenclature manual in the back here," his lips curled downwards, "But I believe it is just as useful as the rest of the book, I'm afraid."

She nodded in response, prompting him to continue. 

"Aerodynamics is defined as the science that deals with the motion of air and other gaseous fluids, and the forces acting on bodies are in relative motion with respect to such fluids."

"Well, that surely doesn't sound like the kind of science that Linhardt does," she mumbled, scratching the back of her head.

In fact, it didn't sound like any science that she had heard about. _ Science_, in all of Fódlan, was intimately involved with Reason magic, which didn't seem to have anything with whatever they had on hands. 

A shiver ran up her spine as she noticed that the book before her hid secrets beyond their current limits of magic.

Perhaps Hubert felt the same, but he always had a strange approach to such things.

"Flight, without the use of mounted beasts as we know…"

He trailed off, gulping down coffee down at once. It was almost possible to see the smoke as he exhaled suddenly, setting the mug aside.

"I can't even tell if it is impressive or profane," Edelgard muttered, her eyes lost in the framed legendary reality the cover presented. 

Eagles of metal, soaring in the sky.

Hubert blinked slowly, quietly skimming the pages. Dozens of schematic drawing of said metal birds, besides multiple graphics of "drag coefficients" and "Reynolds numbers". Not that it meant anything for Edelgard, but Hubert had a strange glint in his eyes.

The Adrestian princess squinted her eye, observing as he stopped for a moment in a paragraph. 

"Anything interesting?" 

His head shot up, back straightening as he seemed to recover his composure quickly, his lips pressed together before he answered.

"Nothing useful, Lady Edelgard," he mused, but there was something in his even tone -- far too even -- that she could dissect as hesitating.

"I can tell that isn't exactly what I asked, Hubert," she cut him off and his eyes snapped back to hers. A glint of emotion flashed behind the green, before his lips curled up in a smirk.

"Sharp as ever," he complimented but said no more.

"Enough praise," her voice took a stern turn, but only for a moment, "Hubert, whatever we have in hands might be part of their insane arsenal. Imagine if my uncle truly has access to such… metal birds."

Hubert seemed to snap back to his calculating self, his gaze freezing at the very mention of her uncle.

Not that she could blame him, as a stake of ice seemed to stab her very heart at the thought of Lord Arundel flying over the world.

"You're right, Lady Edelgard," his voice took a deep, analyzing tone as he continued, "Regardless of what this truly means, I don't believe it is wise to ignore what we have just seen. If you but give the order, I will go under investigation."

She bit her bottom lip, not at all surprised by his tone shift. It was much his brand to close himself off for the sake of her goals. A shame she couldn't afford to let him relax either.

"Very well," she pondered on his suggestion for a moment, before settling on an answer, "Not yet. Stay prepared for any new discovery, but it isn't the first time my uncle appears with such _ machinations _."

The very word felt tainted on her tongue, but there was nothing to be done about it. 

"As you wish."

Silence fell between them, leaving space for the sound of the rain and the noise of her mind. How could deal with an airborne threat, bigger than any pegasus or wyvern than they had, perhaps even larger than the dragons of legends long past, such as the Immaculate One? She bit her bottom lip, tapping a finger on the table as an outlet to her anxiety.

After all, Lord Arundel might be on her side for now, but that could change.

Alone with her somber thoughts, her gaze flickered back to Hubert. He was still enthralled by the book before him, green eyes analyzing and observing the senseless information before him. A moment passed and he shook his head slowly, almost in disbelief about what he was seeing, thin lips slightly parted.

_ Childlike. _

That was the word to define Hubert at that moment and even Edelgard could not believe her eyes. She felt the corner of her mouth twitching, suppressing a smile as if the slightest of pressures would break his moment of wonderment.

Perhaps if it was one of her peers, particularly Linhardt and his scientific antics, she would have forced him to snap back to reality, scolding him for finding joy in something so potentially threatening. 

Still, it was Hubert von Vestra, her faithful servant, whose presence was like a rock in the stormy sea of the darker days of her life. Whose reputation of having a soul with the consistency of egg yolk, as disgusting and insane as it sounded, repelled everyone else.

Hubert, whose dark demeanor had been a defining trait of his for as long as she could remember, raised his head from the book and glanced the stormy weather beyond her room's window, eyes full of some unknown emotion. Her brain almost couldn't fathom what happened before her eyes and, at the same time, a warm feeling bloomed in her chest, the selfish knowledge that such moment was for her eyes alone.

Finally, the spell was broken, as his sharp gaze snapped back to her like a dagger pointed at a thief. In a way, she truly felt like a thief, despite her claim as the person who knows him the most. It was surprisingly intimate to see him immersed in his own wonder, even though she couldn't understand it.

Despite his stare that could make puppies cry, she endured, as Edelgard was never the kind to back down easily. She held his gaze with determination, the kind of confidence forged in the flames of her soul. But it only lasted a moment, as his lips curled up, his expression softening.

In silence, he continued his slow exploration of the book before him, leaving her no choice but to speak up.

"I can see that you're very interested in this subject," she prompted, receiving a nod in response, "Did you manage to understand anything.?"

He chuckled, tapping his fingers on a page.

"Unfortunately, not at all, Lady Edelgard. Still…"

He trailed off, his voice taking an unusual low tone. Edelgard tilted her head to the side, tempted to lean closer in order to hear whatever he tried to say. Instead, she settled for simply speaking again.

"Yes, Hubert?"

"It's nothing. Or rather, nothing for you to worry about," he shook his head but made no attempt of leaving or getting up, which was quite an improvement over his last poorly made excuses about having errands to do. She knew it would be pushing her luck to continue insisting on the subject.

Hubert might have been her servant, but he was a dear friend as well. She didn't wish to pressure him.

Nevertheless, there was a gnawing urge inside of her -- perhaps stemming from the same place of her unyielding determination and ram-horned stubbornness -- that made her push her luck just a little more. 

"Well, unfortunately, you have made me terribly curious," she confessed, a smile playing on her lips as she crossed her legs, "I feel like I've just witnessed a once-in-a-lifetime miracle. And I've never been that much of a believer."

And fortune always favored the bold.

Hubert tilted his head to the side, letting out a short sigh.

"It's nothing, as I said. Just…"

His chin tilted up, eyes half-closed as he collected his thoughts.

"The idea is almost magical. Flying, encased in a bird of metal as all those 'airplanes' and 'helicopters' that are described. It feels safer, I believe that's one way of putting it."

_ Oh. _

Of course.

From time to time, she could recognize his fear of heights. He wasn't scandalous about it, not like Bernadetta and her amazing ability to be afraid of the inanimate, but more like a constant shadow looming over him. Palms sweaty, a nervous side to side glance. It wasn't obvious and he never complained when assigned to sky duty by the professor. But it was there.

Edelgard blinked, slowly putting together what he meant.

"So, are you imagining what it would be like flying in one of those gigantic birds of metal?"

"To put it bluntly, yes," he said _ softly. _As if he was speaking about armored teddy bears and owl feathers. 

Edelgard wasn't quite sure if she was supposed to be bewildered or endeared. Maybe lingering between both. She took a deep breath, her eyes squinting as she allowed her thoughts to take form.

What it would be like flying over the sky, not with the eagerness of barely tamed wyverns, but with her feet steady on the metal floor of one gargantuan bird made out of metal. Maybe she wouldn't be able to feel the wind, or perhaps they could open windows in order to see the sky and the clouds?

It was hard to tell, but Edelgard could imagine that the idea of a solid floor beneath his feet could be comforting for one with an acute fear of heights, such as Hubert.

Before she could notice, her lips were curling up, her eyes following droplets of rain as she relaxed.

"It is truly an amazing thought."

Hubert hummed a response and let a comfortable silence fill the air. For a moment, her mind was absent of thoughts of flames or wars or purposes, merely imagining a bird of metal, roaring in the skies. Standing inside, Hubert beside her, filled with the same childlike wonder.

"Lady Edelgard," Hubert muttered, apparently snapping back to reality, as he got up.

Her eyes followed him, confused by his sudden reaction. _ Checking himself, _ she thought with a tinge of sadness. Of course. It wasn't like him to leave himself exposed for too long.

She crossed her arms over her chest as he put the book aside, but the last forlorn look he gave it didn't escape her. 

"Allow me to excuse myself," he bowed down, shallow and quick, "There are still orders that I've yet to carry out."

_ And what are those anyway, since I didn't give you any all day? _

The pointed question teetered on the tip of her tongue. And stayed there, hesitating. Instead, she waved him a dismissal, the bittersweetness of the moment filling her mouth. Of course.

What else was she expecting? Trust was something that went both ways and despite everything, she knew there were still sharp corners of Hubert's mind she had no knowledge of. Not like Edelgard could blame him for doing the same that she did, but it was sour regardless.

But, instead of hearing the turn of the doorknob, silence fell for a few moments, prompting her curiosity to glance over her shoulder.

Hubert had his hand on the doorknob, green eyes staring back at her. Hesitating, teetering there. She couldn't help herself, sending him sharp quip with a hint of the bitterness she felt.

"The faculty is sure to suspect if a man ends up in my room for too long."

He scoffed a laugh, his voice tainted with dark humor.

"If they are going to start caring about this kind of behavior, I believe Sylvain is the first on the list."

Still, he seemed to pay heed to her words, as he started turning the doorknob as soon as he finished speaking. However, a small, tentative thought flared in her mind.

"Wait."

With the door half-open, the torrential rain outside was the only sound between them, as Hubert turned his head slowly, taking a moment before answering.

"Yes, Lady Edelgard?"

In one movement, she got up, taking the book still open in her hands. Without thinking much about it, Edelgard approached him, perhaps standing a bit closer than what would be considered adequate for an Emperor and her vassal, but she couldn't care less.

"Here."

He frowned his eyebrows, glancing at the book then back at her. Answering his unspoken question, she offered the book to him.

"Study it if you wish. Make use of it if you can," she whispered, "Have some fun with it as well."

He inhaled sharply, lips parting with an argument that died quickly as he exhaled.

"Very well, Lady Edelgard," he muttered back, taking the book from her hands, "Thank you."

He bowed in respect, taking the book with him and disappeared into his own quarters, just beside hers.

"It's nothing, Hubert," she whispered, knowing that he couldn't hear her, 

Edelgard let out a sigh, sparing a last glance to the grey sky above, before withdrawing to her own quarters as well.

The continuous tap of rain seemed louder than before, knocking the windows of her empty quarters. She mused, with a scoff, that he had left his mug on the table -- so unlike his usual composure.

Her lips twitched, as her mood soured as she glanced back at the books. What more wretched secrets could Lord Arundel be hiding? 

Was there anything she could do about it right there?

Did she want to truly stop him?

The questions plagued her mind as she shook her head slowly, picking up the books in order to place them back in their place. The metal box.

She spared one last glance to the titles, musing about the strange words before setting it aside in order to study for the goals the Professor set for the week.

"_Missile Systems Engineering," _ she muttered the foreign words, blissfully unaware of what they truly meant.

**Author's Note:**

> Look, listen. Those Who Slither In The Dark were literally a full-fledged civilization with technology and whatnot, """javelins of light"""" and they have a hideout with lots of technology. I had to use it a lil bit ok? Im a nerd.
> 
> Also kudos/comments/feedback are always appreciated!!!


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